Ubisoft to add 500 jobs to Quebec offices by 2020 with government support

Ubisoft has confirmed that they will be adding 500 jobs to its Quebec offices by 2020 in light of the coming next-gen consoles. By that time, the company plans to employ 3,500 people in the region with the help of the Quebec government.

"The imminent arrival of the next generation of consoles, the expansion of mobile platforms, the multiplication of connected, immersive, and social environments, and the strategic importance of the relationship between developers and players are profoundly transforming the video game industry," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said in a statement.

"Today's announcement allows us to anticipate the growth of our future needs with the main objective of strengthening proximity with our players and creating value for them," he added.

The jobs will cover “various skills” required for developing next-generation technology, and are being backed by the Quebec government, who, apart of the deal, announced a $9.9 million CAD ($9.6 million) contribution towards Ubisoft’s effort.

"Their growth and concrete economic benefits for the Quebec nation are true sources of pride," Quebec premier Pauline Marois said of Ubisoft, who’s been in Quebec since 1997. "The project announced today, bringing about important job creation, allows us to foresee success in the future."

This initiative is only the first step in a long line of endeavors for Ubisoft in Quebec and Montreal. Ongoing is the $373 million CAD ($363 million), seven-year investment of motion capture technology, this according to the company’s "concentration of American operations for online games" mantra.